AUSTIN, TX - Authorities with the City if Austin announced that beginning Monday, April 22nd, public safety agencies within the city will be switching to a new radio encryption system, one that does not allow the public to listen in.
According to KXAN, the Austin Police Department (APD) will begin using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) on all its patrol sector talk groups to protect community members when responding to incidents and investigating criminal activity. The Austin Fire Department (AFD) and the Austin-Travis County EMS will also be making the switch to the encrypted radio system.
The Austin American-Statesman said that a press release from the city stated that the new system would "protect personal and confidential information of members of the public interacting with law enforcement." The press release also said that the current unencrypted radio chatter can "provide criminals with advance warning of police actions and law enforcement tactics."
The press release also said that the use of encrypted channels will only happen within the city's public safety departments and not when they work with an agency outside of the city. Agencies will continue to use social media, web updates, press releases, and on-scene briefings to alert the public about crime and other incidents occurring throughout the city.
Interim Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills said that he is not entirely sure what led to the decision to encrypt the radio system, but that it has been "in the works for some time" and that it took a while because all of the agencies had to coordinate with one another. However, an aftermath report on the social justice protests from 2020 state that encrypting APD's radio system was first suggested as part of the department's own recommendations.
The report noted that police eventually learned that people were broadcasting their movements and as a result, changing their tactics. These incidents caused APD to move to special encrypted channels. However, at the time there were only a handful of encrypted channels and the department then recommended fully encrypting their radio chatter.
Other large cities reportedly use an Advanced Encryption Standard radio system including Fort Worth, San Francisco, and New York City. Michael Schneider, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Broadcasters said that this type of change is not uncommon. He noted that in the 1990s, Bexar County did it and other cities across the country started to encrypt their radio systems after 9/11.
On the flip side, Schneider said that encrypting radio systems can also cause local governments to appear "less transparent" about how they are spending taxpayer dollars, which can ultimately decrease the public's trust in local municipalities. He said, "You're (now) entirely dependent on local government to tell you what's going on. And by and large, many people who do work in local government are very good at doing that, but that's not always the case."
Mills said that he is not opposed to letting media agencies access a scanner, but he is not sure logistically how that would work, such as if there are technological, legal or cost barriers. He said, "If there's a mechanism to achieve that, I think we ought to have a conversation."
In his press release, Mills said, "This is a positive move for the City of Austin and, in particular, the Austin Police Department. Encrypting radio communication means we can do a better job of keeping our community members and emergency responders safe during an ongoing security threat."
According to KXAN, the Austin Police Department (APD) will begin using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) on all its patrol sector talk groups to protect community members when responding to incidents and investigating criminal activity. The Austin Fire Department (AFD) and the Austin-Travis County EMS will also be making the switch to the encrypted radio system.
The Austin American-Statesman said that a press release from the city stated that the new system would "protect personal and confidential information of members of the public interacting with law enforcement." The press release also said that the current unencrypted radio chatter can "provide criminals with advance warning of police actions and law enforcement tactics."
The press release also said that the use of encrypted channels will only happen within the city's public safety departments and not when they work with an agency outside of the city. Agencies will continue to use social media, web updates, press releases, and on-scene briefings to alert the public about crime and other incidents occurring throughout the city.
Interim Assistant City Manager Bruce Mills said that he is not entirely sure what led to the decision to encrypt the radio system, but that it has been "in the works for some time" and that it took a while because all of the agencies had to coordinate with one another. However, an aftermath report on the social justice protests from 2020 state that encrypting APD's radio system was first suggested as part of the department's own recommendations.
The report noted that police eventually learned that people were broadcasting their movements and as a result, changing their tactics. These incidents caused APD to move to special encrypted channels. However, at the time there were only a handful of encrypted channels and the department then recommended fully encrypting their radio chatter.
Other large cities reportedly use an Advanced Encryption Standard radio system including Fort Worth, San Francisco, and New York City. Michael Schneider, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Broadcasters said that this type of change is not uncommon. He noted that in the 1990s, Bexar County did it and other cities across the country started to encrypt their radio systems after 9/11.
On the flip side, Schneider said that encrypting radio systems can also cause local governments to appear "less transparent" about how they are spending taxpayer dollars, which can ultimately decrease the public's trust in local municipalities. He said, "You're (now) entirely dependent on local government to tell you what's going on. And by and large, many people who do work in local government are very good at doing that, but that's not always the case."
Mills said that he is not opposed to letting media agencies access a scanner, but he is not sure logistically how that would work, such as if there are technological, legal or cost barriers. He said, "If there's a mechanism to achieve that, I think we ought to have a conversation."
In his press release, Mills said, "This is a positive move for the City of Austin and, in particular, the Austin Police Department. Encrypting radio communication means we can do a better job of keeping our community members and emergency responders safe during an ongoing security threat."
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Comments
2024-04-21T17:07-0500 | Comment by: Steven
Mills said that he is not opposed to letting media agencies access a scanner, but he is not sure logistically how that would work, such as if there are technological, legal or cost barriers. He said, "If there's a mechanism to achieve that, I think we ought to have a conversation." There are ZERO legal barriers that don't mandate encryption. There are ZERO technological barriers as a scanners is no more or less than a radio without transmission capability. The ONLY possible cost barrier can be covered by whoever USES the scanner. In short, logistically, it is FAR EASIER to allow use of scanners than to implement the use of encrypted communications, but is also makes the encryption useless. For the record, NOTHING here is an argument for or against encrypting the communications.